Llywydd, I congratulate the new Member for Brecon and Radnor, both on his election and on taking this early opportunity to make his first contribution on the floor of the Senedd, and for choosing an important issue to draw to everybody's attention. His predecessor, as the Member for Brecon and Radnor, changed the policy, as he will know, in relation to small and rural schools, to make it a presumption that those schools stay open. And that changes the challenge that local authorities face when they are dealing with school organisation. Previously, there was no such presumption. Now, local authorities have to start from the position that, unless good reasons can be adduced for those schools not to be continued, they will continue. And I hope that that has changed the nature of the debate. It has certainly, I know, in a number of instances provided greater power to parents who want to make the argument for the continuation of a school in a particular community.

In the last term as well, Llywydd, extra funding was provided to take account of some of the additional costs that are inevitably involved in providing education on that smaller scale. None of this means that every school will always be open forever, because sometimes local authorities are able to make good arguments that alternative provision would be to the benefit of that student and parent population. But I think it has changed the nature of the debate and this Government has no plans to change that new set of circumstances.